Remember Me
by Venice.Luna.Blanche
Summary: One- Shot AU. The list goes on and on. The dead, the gone for good, and those left to pick up the pieces. Hermione reminisces about all the sacrifices made in the war, and ponders just how to move on. MAJOR TWIST AT THE END.


A/N: Just a little one- shot about the war. Post- final battle AU. Hermione reminisces about the war and all that was lost.

_Plop plop. _The pitter patter of heavy rain fell against the paned and curtained window. _Plop plop_. She'd always liked the rain. It washed away the past, and the tears were hardly noticeable in the midst of the tears falling from the grey sky above. It was as if the world understood her pain, and wept for all that she lost.

Hermione sighed, head turned upward toward the rain where the rest of the patrons of Hogsmeade bowed theirs to avoid the inconvenience of being wet. She really ought to go inside. Everyone was expecting her, but she couldn't make the effort to turn her body and walk back into the warmth of the Three Broomsticks when she felt so much better out here, where the earth wept for her.

It was a joyous affair- or rather; it was a joyous affair for the rest of the world. Today marked the fifth anniversary of the fall of the dark lord Voldemort. The wizarding world was in a state of euphoria. Here at the Three Broomsticks, however, the party was one of memories, and reminiscing of all that they'd lost.

Of all that she'd lost.

Luna had gone first.

_September, 1997_

_The pounding of footsteps shook the dirt loose above their heads. Harry had given chase after all. While the underground tunnel out of Hogwarts and into the shrieking shack had little in the way of comfort, it did allow the rest to hide. Harry wasn't supposed to follow after Bellatrix, but she had ignited such anger in him that Hermione was sure he was going to kill her. _

_Hogsmeade was under siege. The Death Eaters attacked the train. And scattered the students. Luckily McGonagall had the balls to get most students inside. Harry, Hermione and Ron took the stragglers a different direction and sent them into the tunnel and back to school._

"_We have to help!" Ginny cried._

"_Ginny!" Ron yelled at her, "Let him go, you're going to get hurt! Harry can take care of himself. It's just one Death Easter."_

_Luna, who was behind Ginny, suddenly looked up. Her usually dazed expression became uncharacteristically determined. She gave Ginny a rough push towards Ron just as the tunnel above her head collapsed._

By the time they dug her out, Harry had returned. Ginny openly cried for the girl against her boyfriend's shoulder. She looked peaceful, as though sleeping.

But the quirky Luna was gone for good. And Hermione was sad to think that hers had been the cleanest death of them all.

Everything changed after that. Neville went catatonic for days. Harry spoke with him privately, and nobody knew how, but he snapped out of it- though he rarely smiled now and he had such a fierce determination about him that Hermione was sure he wished Harry hadn't been the one to kill Bellatrix that day.

Harry didn't go back to school. Ron and Hermione attended classed a part of the time, as did Ginny, but the three spent most of their time in the library, or in and out of headquarters. McGonagall understood their need to do so, though she didn't know about the horcruxes. Ron and Hermione were grateful for the freedom, but furious with Harry for going on the hunt alone until he explained his reasoning to them.

He alone could destroy the horcruxes Voldemort made. It was the "power he knew not." Harry's light magic was pure, and because of the piece Voldemort left behind when Harry was little, Harry had the pure magic and dark center that balanced, and allowed him to do incredible feats of magic. Like destroy horcruxes.

Ginny still refused to see reason. Hermione smiled at her old friend's fiery temper towards her boyfriend.

Somebody called her name now, from inside.

"Hermione? HERMIONE?"

_December, 1997_

"_Hermione!" Ron called out to her. The relief in his voice was evident. He had a cut on his cheek and his left leg was shaking badly, but otherwise he looked unharmed. He limped towards her and embraced her in a tight hug. She wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed, inhaling his scent. _

_The siege of the ministry. Voldemort had finally taken over. The Order fought back with everything they had, but it still wasn't enough. _

"_Harry?" Ron asked, snapping her out of her reverie._

_She pointed to the center of the room, where Harry battled the dark tosser himself. They exchanged spells so rapidly that Hermione could hardly follow. Harry was truly an amazing dueler, she noted. He fought with two wands, one in his strong right hand and the other in his weak, scarred and shaking left. _

_She remembered those scars, and how they came to be a part of Harry's hand. Harry discovered the last known horcrux- Ravenclaw's staff- and brought it back to Grimmauld place to destroy it. They had every other known soul-carrier in the bag apart from this one, and it was proving tricky. _

_Harry finally managed to destroy the part of Voldemort's soul inside, but in the process his left hand was ripped to shreds. _

_Hermione was amazed to see the mobility it had, as the injury occurred mere weeks ago. She knew it must pain him terribly._

_A Scream to her left brought her out of her reverie. Wormtail had Ginny under the cruciatus curse. She writhed in agony as the Death Eater watched with glee. He never saw it coming. _

_Fred and George, along with Charlie and Bill, jumped the man and beat him to a bloody pulp. He was clearly dead. _

_Hermione sighed with relief and a faint sense of disgust at the rat's broken body. _

"_Well, well, Potter, you've brought spares this time. Oh how I'll enjoy watching them suffer." Voldemort's mesmerizing hiss brought chills to her spine. _

"_Touch them Tom, and I'll turn you into a fucking pincushion." He sent a stunner at the man, who blocked it. Voldemort's cutting curse hit Harry in the leg and he went down like a sack of meat. _

_Voldemort paid him no mind however, and before she could say _Hogwarts: A History,_ Hermione found herself flanked by two Death Eaters. She struggled, and a hard punch to her temple stilled her. Dazed, she noted almost everyone in the atrium in the same situation._

"_Shall we play wizard roulette, Harry? I know you've been destroying certain items of mine, and that cannot go unpunished." His tone remained mocking, and it scared Hermione that much more. _

_Voldemort conjured a wheel, much like those seen at a muggle county fair- where someone spins to win a prize. Hermione was appalled- it was like a sick, deathly game to this bastard. _

"_One." He spun the wheel, and it landed on a wolf howling at the wind. _

"_Dogs first, then," and he nodded to a Death Eater in the back. _

_Before he could do anything, however, Harry stood up, gingerly supporting his weight on his injured leg, and actually tackled the dark lord to the ground. The scene caused enough havoc for the Order to free themselves and begin fighting anew. Hermione sent a powerful stinging hex at Yaxley, and was pleased to see him his in pain and fall back. _

_Harry had grown weary, Hermione could plainly see that. The cut on his let was deep enough to show bone, and he was white as a ghost and swaying on his feet. He needed to get out of there, and Voldemort wasn't going to let him do that. His opportunity came in the worst possible way. _

_Remus fought his way next to Harry and whispered something in his ear. Harry cried out in protest, but before he could do anything else, Remus pointed his want at the ground and the tile began to rumble and crack as Voldemort stumbled and slipped around. A sickly green light flew out of the Dark Lord's wand, and it enveloped Remus. He fell gracelessly to the floor. _

_Tonks screamed and cried. She ran over and engaged the dark lord himself. Tears streamed down her face as she gave it her all. Voldemort hit her with a cutting hex to her chest and Harry used the distraction to hit Voldemort with the same curse. He hissed in pain and whispered "this isn't over," before disapparating. _

_Harry crawled over to Tonks, who fell a few feet from her beloved. Hermione, tears streaming down her face, watched as Harry approached her. She choked out something Hermione could not hear, and Harry nodded with a sad smile. Tonks grasped Remus' limp hand, and then closed her eyes and drew a last shuddering breath. _

_And then she was still. Harry sat beside the last marauder and his wife, and silently wept._

They lost so many that night. Remus. Tonks. Hagrid. Abeforth. Kinglsey. Moody. Charlie. A tear rolled down Hermione's face for each bloody death she'd witnessed.

Hands wound around her shoulders and grasped themselves below her neck. It was entirely unromantic, but full of love all the same.

"What are you thinking about?"

"The war. We saw so much death. They deserve a few tears for all they sacrificed. All we sacrificed."

"Death is but the next great adventure."

"Yes, an adventure it is I suppose."

"I miss him so much!" She suddenly cried, turning and burying her face in the man's chest. "I want to be with him!"

"And you will, when its time, but life needs living first."

"I know. I just don't know how long I can wait."

"I know the feeling."

"I know you do."

"You know we love you, right? Always, and we'll always be here while you wait to see him."

"I know. Thanks."

"Anytime."

_March, 1998_

_They had yet to discover the last horcrux. Hermione was sure Harry knew what it was, but he was being infuriatingly mum on the subject._

_They were currently celebrating Ron's eighteenth birthday back home at the burrow. They'd closed down Hogwarts shortly after the first term was over, as most students had left anyways and the teachers were out fighting the war. The burrow was as welcoming as ever, though, and the warm homely feel made everyone smile- even Harry, who rarely smiled at anything these days. _

_The whole affair was a joyous one, as joyous as it could be at least given the circumstances. They'd buried Charlie only a few months earlier after all._

_Hermione found herself alone in the room with room with Ron and she just couldn't resist the temptation. _

"_Happy birthday, love," she purred. She sat in his lap and promptly pressed her lips to his. She has just begun to deepen the kiss when an odd noise from outside had them break apart. It sounded like fireworks._

"_Fred and George are celebrating my birthday in their own way, I suppose." He sighed, "Guess we ought to see what's going on."_

_Ron pulled her along the corridor and to the back door. They swung it open to find a sight much less pleasant than the one Ron had imagined. _

_Death Eaters swarmed the property like insects. All around them battles raged between the dark wizards and the Order and Weasley family. Ginny was locked in battle with Narcissa Malfoy, and Fred and George each took on two apiece. That's all she could see before a death curse struck the wall inches from her left ear, and her own battle began. _

"_What happened to the wards?" She cried to Mr. Weasley, who had just stunned his own opponent. _

"_Down!" He cried back, a hitch in his voice that was quite unlike him, and Hermione knew why. If the wards around the burrow were down, it meant Bill Weasley was dead. _

"_Oh no." She said softly to herself. Fleur would be devastated. _

"_Everyone to the floo!" Harry cried, locked in battle with Malfoy Sr., "To headquarters! NOW!" he barked when most didn't move. _

_They ran for the fire and Mrs. Weasley ushered them all inside. Last through was Harry, and he and Mrs. Weasley barely cleared before the fire flickered and died- a clear sign that the fireplace on the other end was destroyed._

They'd toasted Bill that night, and drank for him and his younger brother alike.

Another voice, female this time, called out to her.

"Hermione, luv, why don't you come inside?"

"Just thinking. Today is always a day of remembering. It's the least I can do for everyone inside that pub. I can _remember_."

The woman sighed, as though expecting an answer such as this.

"Don't catch a cold."

Hermione snorted. Like that was going to happen.

"Your right." The voice answered her very un-ladylike sound, "Not likely. We're starting soon, though, just so you know."

"Okay thanks. I'll be in in a moment."

_May, 1998_

_They were making progress in the war. The ministry was under control of the light side, specifically Madam Bones, and they'd managed to reclaim St. Mungo's as well. Hogwarts remained closed, but optimist was high. _

_For everyone except the Order, that is. They were fearful of Voldemort's silence. They knew he was planning something big. _

_And they were right._

_On her way home from a shop across the way, Ginny simply vanished._

_Harry was in a right state and he hadn't slept for two days now. Hermione knew that the likelihood of finding Ginny in time was slim, but certainly didn't feel the need to share that. Ron and the rest of the clan were in just as bad of shape, leaving Hermione and the rest of the Order to conduct the search. _

_A breakthrough? Or sorts, she guessed. Voldemort sent Harry a letter. _

Harry potter,

What a pleasure your beloved is to have around here. My servants do _enjoy_ her company so. You care for her, Harry, and I always said that was your ultimate weakness. I will enjoy watching her die for you and your pathetic cause.

Enjoy your impending death, Harry Potter.

Lord Voldemort

_The letter was short and concise, and as he read it, Harry's eyes glowed with such raw, animal fury that Hermione actually stepped away from him in fear. Glassed shattered and the kitchen table at Grimmauld place cracked in two. _

"_I'm going after her." He announced to the room at large._

"_How do you plan to do that, Potter? She's gone." There was sympathy evident in McGonagall's voice. "We ought to just-"_

"_I'm. Going. After. Her." The pain in his voice was evident, as he shook with fury and overwhelming grief. _

"_How?"_

"_The letter is a portkey. I could feel the magic when I picked it up, I just resisted the pull."_

_Hermione put aside her wonder at the enigma that was Harry Potter, for he would never cease to amaze her, and instead said, "We're coming with you."_

_For once Harry didn't disagree- perhaps to anxious to argue- and the trio grabbed the letter and, after the familiar tug behind the naval, found themselves in a large, dimly lit chamber. There was no ambush of Death Eaters, as Hermione suspected there would be._

_Instead, Voldemort sat atop a throne made of some king of writhing black matter, and he was alone. The light made his skin appear even whiter than normal, and his evil red eyes reflected the fire emitting the light. He looked very much like a huge snake._

"_Harry. How nice of you to join me."_

"_Where is she, Tom?"_

"_DON'T call me by that name boy!" Voldemort cried, flaring up. He cooled just as quickly, however, and said, "I'm not going to duel you Harry. Not tonight. Tonight I'm going to show you why you were destined to lose this war._

_He vanished in a dramatic puff of black smoke, and in his place was Ginny Weasley._

"_Ginny!" Harry cried, hurrying over to her prone form on the black granite floor. Hermione and Ron followed suit._

_She looked terrible. Her clothes were torn to shreds, and she was bloody and bruised all over. Her stomach bled profusely. Harry's hands shook as he tried healing spell after healing spell to try and fix her. She laid a bloody hand on his to stop the movement._

"_It's all right, luv. It's going to be all right." Her voice was horridly feeble, and she shook with the effort to stay awake._

"_No! Ginny, it's not going to be all right. I need you to tell me how to help you. Tell me what to do!" Tears rolled down Harry's face. It broke Hermione's heart to see him like this._

"_I love you Harry Potter. Always have, always will." _

"_Ginny no! No please no! Stay with me Gin, please." Harry begged and pleaded, but it was no use. She was fading._

"_Death…it but… the next great…adventure. Its time to go." _

"_Please baby! Stay with me!" Harry cried. He looked so broken._

"_I love you." She said, and drew a deep breath, eyes unfocused. Harry nodded, crying openly now. Hermione knew he was letting go now, and her eyes, previously filled with tears, burst and the floodgates opened. Ron looked much in the same state._

"_I love you too, Ginny Weasley."_

"_I'll be…waiting…for you."_

_She drew a last breath, and then lay still. The hand holding Harry's went limp. He placed a soft kiss on her frozen lips, and then lay down and cried._

_Hermione threw her hands around Ron's shoulder and sobbed._

Another tear leaked out of the corner of Hermione's eye. The storm seemed to build even more. The rain pounded against her, cleansing her.

"Still thinking, lass?"

"I've gone through almost the whole war."

"You seem to do this on the same day every year. Why punish yourself?"

"We all gave up so much. Everyone I remember gave up _everything_. This is the least I can do."

"You sacrificed a hell of lot, too, lass."

"I know. I'll remember me last."

"Better hurry. Everyone's already started drinking."

She smiled. "Can't be missing that."

_June, 1998_

_This was it. The finale. The showdown. The world was balanced on the edge of a knife, and either Harry Potter or Tom Riddle was going to determine where it landed. _

_The battle was almost over. They had both exchanged their best and both had become worn down. The rest of the fighting ceased as these two demy- gods battled for control of the wizarding world. _

_They were on the grounds of Hogwarts, near Dumbledore's grave. _

"_You will lose Harry. You know I cannot die. You know why. You know of the sacrifice you are unwilling to make. You _know_ this, and yet you still stand up today and fight against me. You're almost as determined as your dead blood- traitor."_

_Harry gave an animalistic growl and raised his hand. Voldemort was shoved into the air and smashed to the earth. He grunted and righted himself. Harry placed the dark lord very closed to himself and Hermione knew it was very much on purpose. It made no sense. Unless…thoughts raced around her mind like wildfire._

_**You know I cannot die. You know the sacrifice you are unwilling to make. **_

_But Harry was willing to make it. He always was. Especially since Ginny died. Because he had to. Because he was the last horcrux. _

"_Harry NO!" She cried._

_He turned to face her and Ron. "I love you guys. So much."_

_And then he raised both of his wands, one pointed at the stunned Voldemort and the other at his own chest. _

"_Avada Kadavera," he whispered, eyes closed, body relaxed and at peace._

_A bright flash of green light enveloped both of them, and when it cleared, Tom Riddle and the boy- who- lived were no more. _

_The moment Voldemort died, most of the Death Eaters dropped their wands and surrendered. But a few continued fighting, like Malfoy and Snape. _

_Ron stood on the grassy field by his best friend's body, dazed. He didn't move or blink or respond at all. _

_Not even when Snape appeared ten feet away and cast the killing curse directly at his heart._

"_RON!" Hermione cried sprinting toward him. He looked up, surprise and grief and pain etched into his features. Hermione managed to reach him just as the killing curse did. _

_She jumped and threw him to the ground._

_As the green light enveloped her and her world faded, the last though in Hermione Granger's head was that she was so glad it wasn't Ron who the curse had hit._

Hermione faced to ran once more and twirled about. Ron always did like to dance in the rain.

"If you're done, were starting now."

Hermione turned. Harry stood in the doorway of the Three Broomsticks, one hand leaned up against it and the other wrapped around ever beautiful Ginny Weasley.

"Yeah, luv, we've had quite enough of the rain," she said laughing. Her fiery

Hermione nodded, and with a though the sky returned to its starry splendor.

"C'mon," Harry held out his hand, and she took it and followed them into the pub. It was their annual celebration and remembrance of the one's they'd left behind. Five years ago today… it all ended.

Luna sat in a corner idly chatting away with Hagrid and Moody. Remus and Tonks were snuggled close in another corner, and Bill and Charlie talked animatedly with Kingsley Shaklebolt. Dumbledore stood at the bar, eyes forever twinkling, trying to convince his brother- who was serving the drinks- to eat a lemon drop.

Hermione sighed and smiled. She always loved this party. It was nice to see everyone. But it made her miss Ron all the more. She could still see him, yes, but she missed talking and kissing and loving him.

Harry was right though, he had a life to live. She would be waiting for him when it was time, as she had waited all her life.

After all, death _was_ the next great adventure, and Ron always did love adventure.


End file.
